Portable vaporizers
Buying a portable vaporizer can be intimidating, especially for first-timers. Don’t fall for the cheapest price, latest buzzword, or flashiest ad campaign. Head over to our blog page for a deep dive into our best vaporizers, or start here with a crash course in how to get started with the best portable vaporizer for you.
Know your budget
First things first -- you should know what your budget is heading in. You’ll save a lot of time shopping for a portable vaporizer if you begin by figuring out what you’re willing to spend. There’s no point in researching a portable unit that costs more than you’re comfortable spending and, by the same token, you don’t need to research bargain vapes if you’re ready to buy the best.
One thing you don’t need to worry about, when shopping at Planet of the Vapes, is making the wrong choice. Our blog is full of reviews that will get you familiar with our catalog, and while most of our vapes are under warranty, our 14-day Satisfaction Guarantee gives you time to test-drive your selection to make sure it’s right for you. We filter out the junk, bring you the best, and give you two weeks to confirm. This is your safe place!
How portable do you need it?
Unlike desktop vaporizers, portability comes down to size, battery life, and how often you need to grab the charger. Portable dry herb vaporizers come in all sizes and, not surprisingly, most of the bigger ones have the longest battery life. You’ll need to balance how small you want your vape to be, with how long you need to go between recharges. If you’re a road warrior, keep an eye out for portable herb vaporizers with one of our favorite features, rechargeable/replaceable batteries. Or, take it a step further and grab a flame-powered Vapcap.
Vapor quality
Think of vapor quality in terms of taste and temperature. If you want to explore the deeper nuances of your herb’s taste, look for a vape with more glass in the vapor path and an isolated air path, since plastics and silicones can neutralize flavor, as well as a convection heating system. People who are sensitive to hotter vapor should look for a vaporizer that has twists, turns, and baffles in the mouthpiece, to cool the vapor before it gets to your mouth. Expect to pay a little more for tastier, cooler vapor.
What features do you need?
What features are important to you in a vaporizer? Digital, precise temperature control with a wide temperature range is great, but if you’re new to vaporizing, you can probably get by with a low-medium-high preset control scheme while you get your feet wet (your first vaporizer probably won’t be your last). One person might like a vape that vibrates when it reaches temperature, but another might think that draws unwanted attention. Manual vaporizers remove temperature settings and put more control in the tinkerer’s hands, while others serve the vapor up ready-to-go, without any thinking. From flame-powered to bluetooth-enabled, there’s a feature set that’s right for you.
For concentrates
We recommend the Sai vape pen for the load-as-you-go concentrate-only crowd (not for e-liquids). The price and performance are unmatched for a portable wax vaporizer. But if you need a vaporizer that works with dry herbs and concentrates, look for one with hybrid heating, like the Arizer Solo 2, the Mighty, or the ONE, or one of the latest portable convection vaporizers, like the Bowle. These portables hold your concentrate on a stainless steel mesh pad inside the heating chamber, that works much better than anything in a conduction-only vaporizer, like the Flowermate lineup. Instead of concentrate-like hits, your wax slowly vaporizes over a session.
